Reinventing Confucianism

Reinventing Confucianism is a pioneer presentation of the New Confucian Movement, which has developed in China in the aftermath of the 1919 May Fourth Movement. The book offers a brief history of this current of thought, reviewing the three generations of leaders from the 1920s to the present, and describes the life and thought of eleven main figures representative of the philosophical development of China in the 20th century. We are introduced to Liang Shuming, the forerunner of the movement; Ma Yifu, the Confucian hermit; Xiong Shili the metaphysician; Zhang Junmai, an advocate of political democracy and constitutionalism; Feng Youlan, the renowned philosopher; He Lin, a follower of Hegel; Qian Mu, the historian; Tang Junyi, the spiritual philosopher; Xu Fuguan the intellectual histo rian and sharp columnist; and finally Mou Zongsan, with his elaborate metaphysical system, considered by many as the crowning of this collective philosophical endeavor. Umberto Bresciani also discusses the third generation of the movement and the renaissance of Confucian studies in today’s China.

The book is the most complete assessment to date of the accomplishments, limits, and future of a movement now situated at the center of the Chinese intellectual landscape.

Umberto Bresciani introduces to us the history and central issues of the New Confucian Movement, and presents the life and thought of eleven leading figures. He also discusses the third generation of the movement and the renaissance of Confucian studies in today’s China as well as the accomplishment, limits and future of the movement.

This book is a precious reference for anyone interested in the history of Chinese philosophy and cultural history. Its focus on comparative culture and thought makes it an indispensable tool for research and teaching in these fields.

Umberto Bresciani

1942 Born in Ca’d’Andrea, Cremona, Italy.

1962 High School Graduate (Maturità Classica), Liceo Ballerini, Seregno (MI), Italy.

1968 Licentiate of Philosophy & Theology, Studentato Teologico Saveriano, Parma, Italy.

1969 Entered Chinese Language Institute (Annexed to Fujen University, Taipei, Taiwan).

1973 B.A. (major: History; minor: Chinese Studies), University of Maryland (U.S.A.), Far East Division.

1975 M.A. Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

1983 Ph. D. Chinese Literature, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Professor of Italian Language: National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei (since 1974).

Professor, Dept. of Italian Language & Culture, Fujen University, Xinzhuang, Taipei, Taiwan (since 2003).

Umberto Bresciani has lived in Taiwan for over 40 years.

His main interest is Chinese philosophical and religious thought and comparative theological studies.

Main publications

Books:

Xifang hanxuejia yanjiu wenshidongyi de shangdui (Evaluation of research by Western sinologists on the Wenshidongyi), dissertation for the Ph.D., Chinese Literature, Taipei: National Taiwan University, May 1983.

Reinventing Confucianism: The New Confucian Movement, Taipei: Ricci Institute, 2001.

La filosofia cinese nel ventesimo secolo – I nuovi confuciani, Roma: Urbaniana University Press, 2009.

Il primo principio della filosofia confuciana (Ebook), Gaeta: Passerino Editore, 2014.